Furnace charging device



0ct. ll, 1932.

S. E.MCQUIGG FURNACE CHARGING DEVICE Filed Jan. 22, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Oct. 11,A 1932. s. E. MCQUIGG FURNACE CHARGING DEVICE Filed Jan. 22. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 srrs l -i'ra Pera SANFORD E. MCQUIGG, or PRACKENRIDGE PENNSYLVANIA, AssrGNon To ALLEGHENY STEEL COMPANY, or EEACKENRIDGE,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION E PENN- svLwiNIii- EURNACE cHAEGiNG DEVICE Application led January 22, v1930. Serial No. 422,530.

Y charging and removingv loaded annealing position.

Vt'alen along the lines IIIIII of boxes such as now used for sheets andthe like.` Y

In the steel and other allied-industries, the Y charging of furnaces, such as where box annealing is carnedon, presents many difliculties. i A

It is now customary to employ a separate e rigging for charging or discharging each furnace. But, these riggings have been unsatisfactory from many angles. j

Further, such riggings are complicated, and, due to the high temperature encountered, many repairs with frequent replacement of parts are necessary. 'y

An object of this invention `is to provide a single device that may be employed to vcharge any number ofy furnaces. Y

Another object is theprovision of a charging device that may be controlled and'oper-y atedv by an Vordinary overhead traveling crane. j Y Y A further object is to provide a charging device whose center of gravity may be controlled to meet varied load demands. Y A still further object is to provide an eficient, flexible, and positive furnace chargingdevicevthat shall be relatively inexpensive both as to cost lof maintenance and operation.

These, and other objects which will appear to those skilled in the art, l attain by means of the device described in the specification and illustrated inthe drawings accompanying the illustrated portion of the application. l v

In the drawings; Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of an embodiment of my device while inworking Fig is a top plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 1.` v e l Fig. 3 is an enlarged side'section view n Fig'. 2. Fig. 4 is 'an enlarged end sectional view taken along the linev IV--IVv of Fig; 2.

In the drawings, apreferred form of my invention is' shown that includes a charging having a bottomvportion 20 for pushing .in andpulling out aV charge of a furnace, and

(an upper portion 30;v n The lower'portion is movablym'ountedon the upper portion sol that the rcenter of gravityof the lower portion 20 maybe shifted to obtain a state of balance or equilibrium erating conditions.

kAlthough, for the purposes of illustration, I have .shown a particular form of furnace having a charged annealing box 61 mounted on a suitable truckv 62 carriedby suitable rollers 62", operating over tracks 63,

it is to beunderstood that my invention is not limited to any particular. form of furnace installation, as it'may' be utilized in variousl industrial applications. *l Y In order that the device 10,v may be moved from one positiontoanother for acting,`

upon the charge V61 of a given furnace l60, and in order that the device l0 can be operated for pushing the charge into or pulling it out of ,the furnace 60, the upper portion 30 is provided with an axle 31 extending traversely of its top face 33. Axle 31 is rigidly mounted in spaced, upwardly extending sidek frames 34 and is provided with an eccentric, central bearing portion 32 adapted to be engaged by a hook 71 carried by cables C of an over- Vheadtraveling crane 7() of standard kor well known construction. i

In' order to facilitate engagement or disengagement of hook V71 and bearing portion 32 of axle 31, upwardly projecting and longitudinally extending guidewalls 35 are provided. Each guidewall 35y is rigidly secured to the top face 33 vand to the axle 31 in alignment with the groove32. The walls 35 extend longitudinally of upper'portion 31 and at substantially right angles lto if the axle SLV-It will. be observed thatV each one is slightly bent outwards-in a transverse under diierent opy ydevice designated in its entirety by 10 and j direction at 'both ends thereof. The purpose of thelast mentioned feature is to facilitate t y y the engagement and disengagement of the' hook 71 of the crane 70, when the device 10 is `not in use, orin case the crane is to be employed for other purposes.' For initially di- -recting the hook 7l, upwardly 'extending guide posts 36 are provided Vthat are rigidly secured to opposite ends of the upper face 33. In order that device 10 may be eiective to push a charging car 62 into furnace 60, or to withdraw the same tlierefrom`,'p'ortion 20 is provided with a relatively` long tapered arm `21. The armhasjav relatively Ablunt bumper .end .22 thatengages ya bumper 64;. on carY 62,.4

when pushing the car into the furnace, or when device 10 is used to push anyobject to be moved thereby. Arm 21 is also provided with a hook 23 that extendsbeyondthe bump` er portion22, which isY adapted to engage the `car (cr other object) whenY it is desired -to lpull the carout of thefurnace. n Y W'ith certain important points in mind, 1I

j have distributed the weight oaf-the lower por# Ition'20 in a particular fashion'.V 24: of' 'the lower portion 20has. a solid mass, whilev l the other half 25 and theextendingportion 21 force. In other words, I' so distribute'the weight of the mass of the deviceV 10,' with i:'e-

. are Vsubstantially hollow, having reinforcing i ribs26produc'in'g acellular structurejas seen r'rcm'Fig. 3, YThe mass'2t has been given a weightniuch greater than any contemplated furnace' charge,iin order `that the craneYO `l need not actually furnish the entire charging spe'ct to its center of. support, that the device Y 10 will be in a statef'of balance when exerting either apushing orY pulling force on arrobject to beinoved, such for example, as the charging 'car 62 'and the loadr'thereon.

' i. By the present arrangement', the crane'O caribe moved parallelftothe line ofcharge towards or `away from thefurnace'thereby changing the position ofthe point oftheV fhang or vsuspension withV respect to the center of mass of thedevice'lO, so that the 'forcefof gravity acting Yupon" device 10 willcause the latter to' swing likea pendulumto a new pesiti'on of rest. If this Jorceupon VVthe device were less than the ferce requiredI to l-mov'e a charge intoor out of a furnace, the

crane, itself, would necessarilybe required :to 'siipply the force necessary to pull or push Y a charge; Thus vby moving the crane in one direction orY another,the'reby changing the sition. Y

'The Charging device 10? as abovesetlrth can lbe built -to m'eet the Vneeds of "a" given weight of charge-and 'of a given furnace,

' but in orderthat asingle device can be con# structed that bymeans of mino)-1v adjustments may be given characteristics suitable Jfor' any situation, .or Vin y"other words, to pr Ovide-va universal,'interchangeable device, means has been provided whereby the effectiveness of the arm 20' and the mass 211 can bexvaried, by changing the center of mass of the lower portion'20 withrespect to the pointY of attachment ofj upper portion 30 to lcrank khook` For "al given adjustment ot `portions 2O and 30of,device 10, devicel() will bevinav state of balance Ywhen pushing or pulling a load requiring a definite force to move the y same. .I-Io-w'ever, it often happens that loads must be moved requiring either greater or smaller forces, so that the adjustment re- `ferred'to above may not suit the new conditionsfbecause device 10 -lmay 'not be ina state ofbalancewhen moving such loads.

'.Therefore, inll order thatfdevice 10 maybe `adjusted to'su'it-requirenients arising 1n-practice, 'dues to either heavier or lighter duties beingimposed thereon, means are provided whereby `portions-.20 and 30v may `be nio-ved `relativelyto fone another lto such positions that device 10 will Vbe in a-state of lbalance when it exerts the required forcefon the object to-bemo'ved, Such. meanswill -be apparent from'.- the following description of device 10. g j j f... 1

Upper portion 30 isprovided with a down- Vj .wa-rdly extending portion t3v of invertedT- l shapeV in section.

The T portionl may,.;as shown, be made hollow throughitsv longitudinal central portion. l The 'lower portion 2O is providedv with Vvertically eX't'endin'Ol side walls W andiVVl having 4shoulders and S1 that overhangthe anges F andV F1 of the T portionl 43. Thus itwill be apparent thatwhen device '10 issuspended from hook '71', the lower portion 20V will be'sus- Apended by its shoulders S, Si, from the anges F,F1"of the T portion i3-of; upper portion 30.y Thus in el'ect,--'a dovetail'con- `nection is employed for supporting the lower p`ortion'20 on the'upperportion 50. vSince the overhanging shoulders S, .Si

the lowerportion 2O presentl a relatively large bearing area, and since the lowerporf' tion is'relatively heavy, it will be apparent that a great force would be required to move portion 2O because of the. high frictional'v orce develo ed between the contacting suri-acesof these shoulders and the flanges'. F,

F1 of TV portion 13.

Therefore in order Vthat the center y"ofina-ss of :port-ion" 20 may be shifted with respect to the center vof inassof portion 30with 'a mini# f mum of etl'ort, means are provided whereby, when' device -1'0 is brought Vto -rest lonja i'ioor or other support, upper portion *30- will move downwardlylto ',disengagev the contacting faces of overhangingjiianges.El?1 van d shoulders Sr, To facilitate movement of upper" portion 30 whenv deviceV 10 is vat reist on-'a floor or support, 'the upper portion is vprovided with rollers or wheels 59 whichare :traveling crane, so thatfsaid device caniche employed to control the chargesofa 4number A' furnace charging*.deviceihavingan upper supporting portion and a lower pusher andpuller portion, said lower 4portion having `lan, arm for pushing a charge into and:` for per portion including means fory removably o fthe force required-to move Aullinor the charge out of the furnace said u engagingtlieliook of an overhead traveling crane, said upper and said lower. portions being pivotally'A connected together, said ,lower k'portion having'. a heavy ofi-balancedl weight, means `for varying the relative po'Sition cftheisaid upperandlower portions, so

that the moment-of inertiafof the lower pr- -tion canvbe'changed and that the force of gravity upon the device will be lgreater than the Pcharge into and out'f thefurnace.y 'o Afurnace charging; device having an upper supporting 'portion' anda lower -chargf y ing portion, said upper portion having means disposed thereonfor engaging the hook of f a traveling crane, said lower portion having y an arin for Vmoving a charge into and out of the furnace, `thesaid upper and lowerf portions Y being pivotally. connected,` means for changing the position of said" upper portion with tion, so that Vsaid upper portion can be moved l tending guide rails secured thereto for supniountedlin the lower face of said upper poralong the uppervfa'ce of said lower portion, said lowerportion having downwardly eX-i porting the upper end of said pivotta screw axle positioned to extend through said pivot and through oppositely positioned supporting brackets rigidly secured'to and extending downwardly from said upperportion, one

' ofsaid supportsand bolts disposed onboth sides of said-pivot being threaded to said axle, vso vthat awrotation of said axle will change tlieposition of said support withirespect to -saidvpivot, causing the upper portion to move along the said guide rails and along theupper `face of said lower portionI f Y I 5. In afurnace Vcharging device, a" bal- *ance'd weight adapted to be .suspended from a carrying *nica-ns, a heavyY ofi-balanced Y weightsuspended from said balanced weight and-being providedwith a charging arm,

said arm and the part` of said weight adja-v cent thereto having a cellular structure, the

remainder of said Vweight having" a substantially -solid structure for olf-setting l the first a mentioned structure. Y

' f' 6. ln a furnace cliargingdevice having an upper suspending and supporting portion anda .lower charging portlonprovided with a charging arm, the longer'part of said lower portion includingthe charging arm having VVa substantially cellular construction, 'the re- V- mainder of said lower portion having-a solid structure. forbalancing the weight of the iof the hollow structure..V

' .In a furnace charging device, a lower Y p o o charging force.:- resp-ectv to .f 'saidpivot that includes wheels f longer partrof said'lower portion, said upper i* portion consisting of a balanced weight-and being adapted to be suspended from a carrying means, said lower portion being suspended. from and pivotally connected to said upper portion, so that a given moment vof inertia may beproduced.

7; In a furnace charging device, a lower portion provided with a :charging arm, said yarm and the part of said portion adjacent thereto having a ribbed and substantially hollow structure, theremainder of said portion having a substantially solid structure for olf-balancing and off-setting the weight portionprovided with a charging arm, .said arm and-the .part Vof ysaid portion adjacent thereto ,having a substantially hollow and suitably reinforced structure, theremainder of 'said portion'having'a substantially solid z structure for .olf-setting and off-balancing the weight of Vthe hollow structure,and upper `pof'rtion adapted to Vbe suspended from a carrying means, said lower portion being inovablyconnectedto said upper portion so that the moments of inertia ofsaid upper and lower portions niay/be'conibined to produce a V9. In Va furnace charging device, a ylower portion provided with a vchargingarm, said arnifand the partr1 of said portion adjacent thereto havinga substantially hollow and suitably reinforced structure, the remainder ofsaid portion'having a substantiallysolid structure for off-balancing and off-setting -the weight of the hollow structure, anrupper portion adapted to be suspended' and consist-l ing of a substantially balanced weight, said lower portion beingmovably` `connected to and suspended from said upper portion, so

that the moment of inertia-'of said upper and lower portions may be combined to produce a a charging force. y

' 10. Inf'a furnace charging-device, a lower and' suspending Ymeans for carryingfsaid porl1. In" Va Vfurnacev charging A device,l a lower Y portion provided `with an extending chargving arm.'y said'arm andthe partof said por-'- tion adjacent thereto having -a Vsubstantially h ollow form provided with suitable reinforcing ribs, the remainder of said portion" havinga suitablesolid form so that the'latter vwill off-set the weight 'of' the former, an upper Vportion consisting of a1 substantially balanced weight, said upper portion being provided with-means for: removably 'engag- Y Lacasse ing a suspending and carrying means, said lower portion being suspended from and pivotally connected to said upperportion, so that the moments of inertia of said portions may be combined to produce the charging force.

12. In a furnace charging devicel having an upper supporting portion and a lower pusher and puller portion, said lower portion having an arm for pushing a Vcharge into and for pulling the charge out of the furnace, said upper portion including a transversely positioned axle having an eccentric groove cut therein for removably engagiing the hook of an overhead traveling crane, said lower portion being pivotally connected to and suspended from said upper portion and means for varying the relative position of said upper and lower portions so that the moment of inertia of the lower portion can be changed.

13. Inka furnace charging-device having an upper supporting portion and a lower charging portion, said upper portion having means disposed thereon for engaging the hook of a traveling crane, said lower portion having-an arm for moving a charge into and out of the furnace, said lower portion being movably connected to and suspended from said upper portion, means for changing the position of'said upper portion with respect to saidV lower portion that includes a screw axle connected to said lower portion positioned to extend through oppositely positioned supporting brackets rigidly secured to and extending downwardly from said upper portion.

14. In a furnace charging device having a lower charging portion and an upper supporting portion provided with a transversely extending axle having an eccentric groove cut'therein for receiving the hook of a crane, a pivot means for connecting said upper and lower portions together, and means for varying the relative positioning of said upper and Y lower portions, said means including a screw axle positioned to extend throughv said pivot and to cooperate with brackets extendingV downwardly from the upper supporting portion.

15. In a furnace charging device having an upper supporting portion and alower charging portion provided with a charging arm, of means for pivotally and variably securing said lower portion to said upper portion, said means including a screw means for moving said lower portion with respect to said slotted to receive said inverted T-shaped portion, guideways rigidly secured to and ex-` Vtending downwardly from the lower face of said T-shaped portion,and means connecting said upper portion to saidv lower portion hav- V ing a T -shaped upper portion cooperating with said guideways, and means for moving said connecting means along said guideways, so that the relative positioning of said upper and lower members may be varied.

17. The combination with an overhead Y traveling support having a cable and a hook,

of a heavy mass suspended from said hook,

said mass comprisingV an upper body portion suspended from the hook, a lower body portion of relatively large mass movably supported by said upper portion, said lower portion having a relatively long puller and` pusher arm thereon, and screw mechanism operatively connected to said upper and lower body portions for moving one of said body portions relative to the other, thereby shifting the combined Vcenters of mass of said body portions relative to the point of attachment of the upper body portion to said hook.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th day of January,

sANronn n. Meanies. 

